Task force likely to revamp DoT operations

NEW DELHI, December 9: Following the announcement of elections and a four month delay in the formation of the new government, the Departmen...

NEW DELHI, December 9: Following the announcement of elections and a four month delay in the formation of the new government, the Department of Telecommunications DoT is planning to change its strategy for restructuring the six-lakh strong work force under it in order to prevent the loss of time in the interim period. It has been proposed that a task force which will be assisted by private consultants with expertise in the area of functional rationalisation of organisations will be set up which will work out the details of the best possible model to be followed for restructuring the DoT.

The matter was discussed at the meeting of the full telecom commission held at the Sanchar Bhawan today, though no final decision in this regard was arrived at.

Earlier, DoT had planned to put up various models to be followed in restructuring the department to the full Telecom Commission which consists of Finance Secretary, Industry Secretary, Member Secretary Planning Commission, Secretary DoT and Secretary, Department of Electronics.

Following this, DoT would send the final model for clearance to the Cabinet after which a task force would work out the actual implementation of the restructuring exercise.

With the dissolution of Cabinet and the announcement of elections, the DoT is now planning to prepone the setting up of task force as the first phase of restructuring exercise after full telecom commission gives its assent.

Sources say, that this move will enable DoT to work out a detailed plan in next four to five months, a time which would have been lost if the matter had to wait for a new government to be set up. Officials explain that a lot of the DoT8217;s future prospects would depend on the success of the restructuring efforts especially with the advent of private service players already in the market.

The DoT is also debating whether the task force to be set up should be an inter-ministerial one or from within the DoT with professional consultants advising it. The full telecom commission is likely to take up these issues in its next meeting.

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The models that are being considered for restructuring the DoT include either setting up of four regional corporations for actual operational functions.